


Unraveled

by gray_autumn_sky



Series: Unraveled [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-07-24 06:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7498293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gray_autumn_sky/pseuds/gray_autumn_sky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robin lashes out at the Charmings when Regina is attacked by the Evil Queen. Set in season 6.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unraveled

His hand is loose around hers but his jaw is tense, and each rhythmic beep of her heart monitor has his shoulders tightening and his stomach churning. It’s so difficult to look at her this way—cut and bruised with tubes in her mouth and nose, looking so fragile and small in her hospital bed—looking so unlike herself.  

“Regina, love,” he murmurs as he leans down and kisses the back of her hand. “I’m here…”  

He presses his eyes closed as his forehead rests against the back of her hand—he hadn’t wanted to leave her that evening, but she’d insisted—she had a headache and wanted some quiet time. She’d smiled gently through hooded eyes and asked him to take the kids to Granny’s for dinner—and when he reminded her that she shouldn’t be left alone she’d scoffed and reminded him that she could take care of herself.  

Two weeks before, she’d been in New York. Since returning from the Underworld, Henry had grappled with magic—it’s luster having faded after seeing so much of its dark side. He’d set out on his own to rid the modern world of it and to protect his family from it—and Regina and Emma had quickly followed, taking Snow and Charming along. Robin had been glad to stay back with Roland and Esme—New York held too many painful memories—and Regina had promised a quick return. He never thought he’d regret not going back—yet, here he was and he was full of regrets.    

When she returned she’d told him that Evil Queen was gone—and her smile broke his heart.

Everyone agreed that it was a good thing for her, that she was better off this way—that she could finally be free of the demons that haunted her, and she could finally be happy. But the Evil Queen wasn’t gone—the Evil Queen was simply no longer contained inside of her. And all of her anger and her need for vengeance, her deep-rooted hate and self-loathing was unleashed and it was directed at the one person who’d betrayed her most—Regina.

They’d been at the diner when they’d heard the sirens. Roland had knelt up on the booth and watched the ambulance speed down Main Street, and when Henry’s eyes met his, he felt his stomach drop—and then a moment later a chill ran down his spine as his cell phone rang. It was Emma. Regina had been attacked and he felt his world beginning to unravel.

He’s barely aware when a nurse enters—but at the faint sound of her voice, he lifts his head, catching just enough of what she’s saying to know that they have to take her for some tests and they’ll let him know when he can come back in. He nods as he drops one more kiss to the back of her hand, letting his lips linger for just a moment—and then he watches them take her.

Normally, he’s able to keep his emotions in check and normally he’s able to stay in control. He’s always been good at weighing consequences and looking at situations from varying perspectives, always one to let logic prevail. He’s calculated and he’s careful. In the years he spent raiding carriages and robbing castles, he’d always had a plan—he’d always known what to say and how to say it and he most certainly never let emotion jeopardize himself. Yet when he sees them all sitting there in the waiting room—looking so worried and distraught—his anger begins to bubble to the surface. Had it not been for them, none of this would have happened.

He turns away, not wanting to make a scene, but Charming’s voice stops him.

“How is she?” He asks, as Snow looks up, her eyes wide with concern. “How’s Regina doing?”

For a moment, he says nothing—he just stares and wonders how long it took them to inject her, how long it took them to suggest the serum, how long they’d waited for this opportunity. “She’s still not awake,” he manages to say, trying in vain to keep his voice even, though he feels himself beginning to unravel at the seams.

The Charmings exchange glances. “Have the doctors said anything?”

“No,” he replies curtly. “They’ll know more after these tests.”

“This is so awful,” Snow says with a sigh as she slumps back into her chair and Robin watches as Charming turns his attention back to his wife. “Poor Regina…” he hears her murmur.  

His jaw tightens and he hesitates for just a moment, again thinking back to that night in New York when one of them had suggested she rid herself of the Evil Queen. He closes his eyes and tries to regroup, but instead his anger only deepens because when he closes his eyes all he can see is Regina lying in her hospital bed, and he can’t help but think had it not been for that night, she wouldn’t be there.

“Was it worth it?” He hears himself ask as his eyes slowly open. “Was she really that different?”Both Snow and Charming look up and Killian and Emma turn, and the four of them exchange glances. “Was _this_ really worth it?”

“Robin,” Snow murmurs as she rises to her feet. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about Regina. I’m talking about how you encouraged her to split herself…”

“She wanted to,” Snow interjects halfheartedly.

“You’re not actually blaming _her_ for this,” he says in voice that’s so cool that it’s unsettling. “You wouldn’t…”

“She agreed to it,” Snow says cutting in as she takes a step forward as her head tips of the side. “Robin, this was supposed to bring her peace. She..wanted it to happen.”

He scoffs and looks away as he takes a short breath. “Of course she did. She hates her herself.” When he looks back at them, he shakes his head and fells his hands beginning to tremble. “But, I…I sort of hoped that her _friends and family_ cared more about her than she does.”

“We _do_ care about her.”  

“Ah, yes,” he cuts in as glares at Snow with hardened eyes, “So much so that you wanted to _destroy_ half of _her_.”

“Without the Evil Queen inside of her…”

“You do know that the Evil Queen isn’t actually a separate entity. It’s who she was. Sure, she’s changed, but as much as everyone tries to pretend it isn’t true, the Evil Queen is Regina and Regina is the Evil Queen. They’re one in the same.” The Charmings exchange glances and he wonders if it is actually possible that they don’t understand. “I know that Regina has hurt you…”

“She spent years _hunting_ her,” Charming says, his voice piquing defensively.

Robin nods, “Yes. I know.”

“You can’t be defending that! _Regina_ wouldn’t even defend that.”

Again, Robin nods and his heart clenches. “But who defends Regina?” He looks between them and again, they exchange glances and it infuriates him that they don’t understand. His eyebrow arches and he feels his cheeks flushing with anger. “You can’t honestly stand there and defend your choice. She’s _unconscious_. A tube is helping her _to breathe_. They’re scanning _her brain_ right now. Yes, she struggled with the darkness that was in her and yes she has to live with the regret of what she did, but _this_ was not the way to help her.” Shaking his head, he scoffs. “But why shouldn’t I be surprised. You did the same thing to your own daughter.”

“Wait a minute,” Emma says, finally cutting in. “That was…” she sighs—even she doesn’t believe what she’s about to say. “That was different.”

“Was it?” Robin counters as his voice rises, not really caring if his words sting. “Or is it possible that the people who walk around this town preaching love and hope and courage don’t know a _damn thing_ about any of it!”

“And what do you suggest we should have done?” Snow asks, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Love her anyway,” Robin says, his voice softening as a sad smile stretches onto his lips and he thinks of Regina. “When you care about someone, you don’t just care about the parts that you like and when you love a person, you don’t just love the parts that are easy. You don’t get to pick and choose. You just love them— _all_ of them.” He shrugs his shoulders. “When it’s hard, you still love them. When they make it difficult, you still love them. And when they ask you to do something you know could hurt them, you don’t do it because you love them.”  

Taking a breath, he watches as the others exchange glances and suddenly, he feels hot tears welling in his eyes. From the window, he sees the nurse walking toward him and he turns away without saying anymore. The nurse smiles kindly and he nods, taking a breath as he tries to keep his tears at bay. She leads him back to Regina’s room and when he steps in his breath hitches in his throat—her eyes are still closed and the tubes and monitors are still there. Her gown is positioned a bit differently and he can see that there’s a purple bruise with bloodied scratches running through it. It’s just beneath her collar bone and just above her heart. He moves toward her and again, he takes her hand as he sits in the chair beside her bed. He traces circles with his fingertips into her palm as his thumb rubs up and down her index finger. And as difficult as it is to look at her like this, he can’t look away.

“I’m here, Regina,” he tells her in a hushed whisper as his tears begin to fall. “I’m here and I love you.”  He knows that she can’t respond, yet the silence is too much. He gives her hand a tight squeeze as his face crumbles and his tears start to fall—and finally, he unravels.


End file.
